In phone call, Trump and Putin agree Syrian suffering has gone on "far too long"
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone about Syria and the two agreed that "the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White House said in a statement Tuesday.
The White House went on to say that the conversation between the two leaders "was a very good one," and also included the discussion of safe zones for humanitarian and other reasons. A U.S. representative will be sent to Syrian cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan Wednesday.
CBS News' Margaret Brennan reports that, in a gesture of support to Russia, the U.S. is sending the State Department's Stuart Jones to the Astana talks. He's the former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and Jordan. This move is meant to "elevate" the U.S. level of participation in the Russian-led peace process for Syria. Iran will also be participating in the talks. However, the U.S. will remain an observer in Astana, not a participant. Until now the U.S. had simply sent the U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan, who was local.
According to the administration, Putin and Mr. Trump also spoke about eradicating terrorism "throughout the Middle East" and about how to resolve "the very dangerous situation in North Korea." North Korea was discussed extensively, according to the Kremlin, which, in its readout of the conversation, said Putin called for restraint and a reduction in the level of tension.
The Kremlin also said that the two talked about organizing a personal meeting, in connection with a summit of international leaders in Hamburg on Jul. 7-8.
